University:
Boston University
Course:
GRS CS 910 | Directed Study: Systems
Academic year:

2023
Views:

111

Pages:

18
Author:

Xzavier Parker

Introduction to Perl Programming Overview I. A few introductory notes II. About Perl and programming III. Perl basics IV. Variables V. Conditionals and loops VI. Exercises VII. More stuff I. A few introductory notes Caveats ● ● ● I'm a linguist. I have no formal background in computer science. If you have difficult questions about computer science, ask Paul. I do know how to program quite well in Perl, but I am not an expert. There are many, many things you can do with Perl, and I have learned only a small subset of these. Having said that, feel free to ask me things if you think I can help with your exercises. Nomenclature ● Here are some terms that are used pretty much interchangeably in this presentation. Don't let this confuse you. ● script = program ● coding = programming ● execute = run ● evaluate = test Formatting ● ● Normal expository text is in this font. Text that represents what you type is shown like so: perl myprogram.pl ● Text that represents computer output on the screen is shown like so: File not found. C:\> ● Things written in angle brackets should be replaced with the appropriate text: perl -w II. About Perl and programming What is Perl? ● ● Perl is an interpreted programming language. (More on what that means soon.) Any programming language is essentially a human-friendly formalism for writing instructions for a computer to follow. These instructions are at some point translated into machine language, which is what the computer really "understands". Programming languages vs. human languages ● Since we're all linguists, it's interesting to think for a moment about the differences between computer languages and "natural" languages: ● ● ● ● Most programming languages do have recursive syntax, and thus can theoretically generate infintely complex structures, like human language. Also, programming languages have "syntax" and "semantics", and something akin to word classes. However, programming languages have extremely small lexicons, and very restricted syntactic rules. Another big difference is that computer languages deal with very restricted domains compared to human languages, which are much more general and flexible. Programming languages vs. human languages ● ● ● ● Importantly, computer programs cannot tolerate ambiguity—programs must be absolutely precise. Pragmatics doesn't really enter into the picture; a computer can't "figure out what you mean" in spite of what you say (i.e., no implicature). If there is a counter-example to this, it is probably Perl, which is extremely adept at "doing the right thing", with a limited amount of explicitness in the instructions. Also, Perl (like COBOL and some other languages) was designed to sound as much as possible like English, so it's relatively user-friendly. Relatively. That said... ● ● ● ● One big difference between writing programs and writing other sorts of documents is that your programs must have perfect syntax, or they will not work. Every little comma and semicolon is critical. Therefore, in writing code, it is vital to be absolutely meticulous. Otherwise, you will weep and gnash your teeth and generally not have much fun. On the bright side, the syntax is actually really easy. Many, many times easier than in any human language. On the even brighter side, Perl is a very forgiving language that allows for multiple forms of expression. That means that you can say something in various ways, as long as your syntax is correct. You and your computer ● I like to think of it this way: The computer is very energetic but very very stupid. ● The computer can do things incredibly fast and efficiently, but it can't do much without being told exactly how to do it. ● Imagine the computer could get you a glass of water. Instead of saying "Get me a glass of water" (no need to be polite), you would have to say something like: Move to the door, travelling north-east. When you reach the door, locate the handle and rotate it counter-clockwise a quarter turn. Swing the door towards you, moving out of the way as it approaches. Then proceed through the doorway and east to the kitchen. Locate the refrigerator... Why write programs? ● There are many reasons to write your own programs. Some are more obvious than others. 1) Sometimes you can't find pre-existing software to do what you need done. 2) Sometimes it's easier and faster to do something yourself than to use pre-existing software. 3) Sometimes you want a very high degree of control, one that you can't get with ready-made software. 4) You don't want to have to hire someone else to work with your data, or otherwise cede control of your work. 5) Programming can get you very close to your data: you really see them and think about them more than you might otherwise. Why write programs? 6) Programming is an enjoyable mental challenge, like crossword puzzles or chess, provided you're not in over your head. It's a very creative activity. 7) Programming is extremely satisfying when it works. You discover a problem, imagine a solution, write a bunch of code, and the problem is solved. It offers a far greater sense of closure than most activities in our field. 8) Programming skills are reusable (languages are pretty similar), and programming can be useful in all sorts of domains, not just linguistic research. 9) Your friends will be very impressed. Perl vs. other programming languages ● Most programming languages--such as C, C++, VisualBasic, etc.--are compiled languages. ● ● To run a program, you create a text document with the code, run a compiler on it to convert it into machine code for your OS, and then run it. Perl in an interpreted language, like Java, Pascal, awk, sed, Tcl, or Smalltalk. ● ● To run a program in such a language, you create a text document and tell the interpreter (or Virtual Machine) to run it as a program. The interpreter checks it, compiles it into machine code, and runs it. The 2-step process of interpreted languages makes them slightly easier to work with. You can constantly check your code by running it after every change. History of Perl ● ● ● ● Perl was designed in the mid 1980s by Larry Wall, then a programmer at Unisys, and self-described "occasional linguist". He combined useful features of several existing languages with a syntax designed to sound as much as possible like English. Since then, Perl has mushroomed into a powerful and popular language, with lots of modules contributed by the open-source community. Perl is designed to be flexible, intuitive, easy, and fast; this makes it somewhat "messy". ● Perl has been called "a Swiss-Army chainsaw" ● Perl is also known as "the duct-tape of the Internet" Perl culture ● ● In many ways, Perl is a language for "hackers", not for computer scientists. Perl is disdained by people who prefer languages like C, which are more rigid and closer to machine code. Larry Wall's perspective is this: ● ● "Perl is a language for getting your job done." Two other slogans that are key to The Perl Way: ● ● "Easy things should be easy, and hard things should be possible." TMTOWTDI: "There's More Than One Way To Do It." How you get Perl ● ● One of the great things about Perl is that it is entirely free. It also runs on any platform out there. You can get the source code or a binary distribution from the web. The main Perl repository is CPAN: the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network ● ● http://www.cpan.org There is a binary distribution for Windows that you can get directly from the makers, ActiveState: ● http://activestate.com/

Introduction to Perl Programming

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